Introduction
Over the past several years, the pandemic has forced businesses to rely on remote working structures. As Covid trends peaked and valleyed, businesses found in-person work was too dependent on local regulations and expectations. Remote options are less afflicted by the ongoing change that continues even into 2022.
While working from home is more popular than ever, that expands a company’s pool of potential candidates worldwide. Given that so many employees may be phoning in each day from all over the world, how can organizations make sure that they are effectively maintaining their cybersecurity protocol while also getting everyone working together on the same online hub? A central work platform promotes sharing features, collaboration, oversight and organization. The key is making sure everyone’s access is secure, and that’s where VPNs come in.
What is a VPN?
VPN, or virtual private network, refers to encrypted servers that hide the connection between your browser and the Internet. This makes it exponentially more difficult for hackers to track your online activity. There are free VPNs you can download that will bounce your signal randomly all over the world, which can be especially useful if you’re logging in through public WiFi where it’s easier for cybercriminals to lurk and commit theft. If you’re traveling for work and want to check your email briefly during a layover, for example, the VPN would be the best option to protect your data even for that short window of time.
Of course, these free VPNs come with the drawback of running much slower than the paid alternative. It can make your internet run so poorly to the point of frustration, which is why businesses tend to prefer the faster, paid VPNs that can handle the influx of traffic guaranteed by every employee remotely logging in for eight hours a day, every weekday.
The Truth About VPNs in 2022
These aren’t just useful for public networks or when you’re getting down to business. More people are now familiar with VPNs and a little bit about what they do, compared to what they might have heard about it before mass lockdowns caused an uptick in WFH arrangements.
- The pandemic caused VPN usage surge 27%
- 41% of adults in the US currently use a VPN, either for work or for fun
- Mobile VPN usage is increasing
- The VPN industry is expected to reach $92B in the next five years
They’re not just to protect you from hackers. VPNs are also useful for simply keeping information confidential, keeping authorship private or disassociating projects from one another. For personal use, people use them to access media outside their country or to hide their real IP address.
As more people learn about the various uses that VPNs can have, and in confluence with normalized WFH structures, the market for them will likely keep growing during 2022.
Conclusion
Remote working conditions has its upsides, and now that so many people are used to its convenience, remotely logging into the office is here to stay for many freelancers and employees around the world. To make sure their cybersecurity surfaces remain intact, more organizations are learning about employing virtual private networks in their office to keep files confidential and the workflow smooth. Security and convenience can go together if you know how to do it.
As cybercriminals increase their own activity and evolve what they’re capable of doing as technology advances, VPNs are a worthwhile investment toward protecting your online privacy. Whether it’s for work or for fun, the more layers of security that you add to your network, the more difficult it will be for cybercriminals to breach it. VPNs are a good place to start looking.
References
